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Twenty-six-year-old Constable Davian Martin has created history by becoming the youngest LASCO/Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Police Officer of the Year, after copping the title for 2018/19.

Topping the competition came as no surprise to the young lawman, as he said he knew he would have won after it was announced that he got the most social media votes of this year’s nine finalists, from members of the public.

“I knew I could do it, not only because I got the highest number of votes from the public, but also due to the fact that I have created a number of initiatives in the parish of Manchester aimed at transforming the lives of the youth who live there,” he told JIS News.

Twenty-six-year-old Constable Davian Martin has created history by becoming the youngest LASCO/Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Police Officer of the Year, after copping the title for 2018/19.

Constable Martin received his award during the 18th annual presentation ceremony at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston, on Tuesday (May 8).

Topping the competition came as no surprise to the young lawman, as he said he knew he would have won after it was announced that he got the most social media votes of this year’s nine finalists, from members of the public.

“I knew I could do it, not only because I got the highest number of votes from the public, but also due to the fact that I have created a number of initiatives in the parish of Manchester aimed at transforming the lives of the youth who live there,” he told JIS News.

According to the report of the competition’s judges, Constable Martin, who has served the JCF’s Area 3 Headquarters in Mandeville, Manchester, for the last seven years, has been a strong community and youth advocate, and leader of the Mandeville Police Youth Club, which recorded a boost in membership from 30 to over 80 persons under his stewardship.

Additionally, he organised a 5K Run/Walk, the proceeds of which were donated to Mandeville and Percy Junior Hospitals, and initiated an annual ‘Feed the Street People Programme’. These were among the notable factors propelling him to the coveted award.

Constable Martin said he enjoys being a police officer, noting that it was his childhood aspiration to join the JCF and follow in the footsteps of his father, David Martin.

“After seeing the love hat my dad got from the community as a police officer, and the difference that he made in the community… I wanted to be like him and I wanted to make a difference like him,” Constable Martin said.

He added that the leadership skills his father demonstrated lead him to become the responsible, caring and determined police officer he is today.

Constable Martin was awarded with a cash prize of $350,000 from LASCO, along with the winner’s trophy.

Guest speaker, National Security Minister, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, congratulated Constable Martin, and thanked LASCO for supporting the programme for the last 18 years.

“They recognise three of our critical areas in public service – the police force, the teachers and the nurses, who account for a very large part of the public service and carry out very important services in the public sector and (are) oftentimes not recognised,” Dr. Chang said.

In his address, Founder and Executive Chairman, LASCO Affiliated Companies, Lascelles Chin, said his organisation takes pleasure in giving back to the police officers who risk their lives daily to serve Jamaicans.

“For 18 years, LASCO has been committed to making the men and women of the force know that LASCO values their service and protection. Our public-service professionals – teachers, principals, nurses and police officers – are the backbone of our democracy and way of life. They are at the core of all we do and they keep the wheels of a society in balance,” he said.

Sharing the honours with Constable Martin this year, were first runner-up, Sergeant Florezel Thompson of the Motorised Patrol Division, and second runner-up, Constable Noel Chang, of the Mobile Reserve. They were awarded cash prizes of $250,000 and $100,000 respectively.

The Police Officer of the Year Awards Programme was initiated in 2000 through a partnership between LASCO and the JCF to publicly acknowledge the professionalism and dedication of the members of the force.